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| Landscaped 'river' running through Mariánské Lázně central park (Skalníkovy Sady) |
FACED my first Czech of the tournament.
QGD 4...c5/Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5!?
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| There are 1,015 games with this position in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database - how should White respond? |
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5.e3!?
The mainline in Mega24 runs 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qxd4 Be7 7.e4 Nc6 8.Qd2, after which Black usually offers the king's knight by 8...Nxe4!? or 8...Nxd5!? Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 prefer the latter. After the chief further continuation 9.exd5 Bxg5 10.f4 Bh4+ 11.g3 exd5 12.gxh4 Qxh4+ 13.Qf2 Qe7+ 14.Qe2 Be6 15.Nf3 the engines agree Black does not have enough for a knight, but the position is not completely clear and there were alternatives along the way.
5...cxd4 6.exd4
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| There are 1,357 games with this position in Mega24, most of them arising from the Panov-Botvinnik Attack in the Caro-Kann, ie 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Bg5 |
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6...Bb4!?
The engines prefer the much more popular 6...Be7.
7.Nf3 Qa5!?
Trying to seize the initiative.
8.Bd2!?
This retreat is the engines' top choice.
8...0-0 9.Bd3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qc7 11.Qe2 Nc6 12.a3 Be7
The engines reckon 12...Bxc3!? equalises.
13.0-0 Rd8!? 14.Be3 Bd7 15.Rfd1 Rac8 16.d5
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| How should Black proceed? |
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16...Na5!?
The engines prefer the 'normal' 16...exd5, continuing 17.Nxd5 (they also like 17.Bxd5!?) Nxd5 18.Bxd5 with what they reckon is at best a slight edge for White.
17.Ba2 exd5 18.Nxd5 Nad5 19.Bxd5
The engines slightly prefer 19.Rxd5!?
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| Black only has one reasonable continuation, according to the engines |
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19...Bc6?
Necessary is 19...Ba4 20.Rdc1, and now 20...Bc6!? or 20...Qd6.
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| White to play and win |
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20.Ba2?
Missing that after 20.Rac1 White wins material, thanks to the precarious position of the black knight, eg 20...b6 21.b4 Qb8 22.Bxf7+! Kxf7 23.bxa5, when 23...bxa5? loses to 24.Rxd8+ Bxd8 25.Qa2+! Kf8 26.Bc5+ Be7 27.Ng5. And if 20...Qb8 then 21.Bxa7! Qxa7 22.Qxe7.
20...Ba4?
Best may be 20...Bxf3 21.Qxf3 Bf6, although the bishop-pair gives White an edge.
21.Rxd8?!
White is better after this, but 21.Rdc1 Qd6 (this seems best as 21...Bc6?! runs into 22.b4) 22.Rxc8 Rxc8 23.Bd2! Bd8 (if 23...Nb3 then 24.Bxb3 Bxb3 25.Bb4) 24.Re1 gives an easily winning attack, according to the engines, eg 24...Bb6 25.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 26.Qe4 Kg8 27.Qxa4.
21...Qxd8 22.Ne5?!
White wins a pawn with 22.Bxa7 as 22...b6? fails to 23.Bxb6. Also strong, according to the engines, is completing development with 22.Re1!?, meeting 22...Rc2 with 23.Bd2, eg 23...Nc6 24.Bb1!? Rxb2 25.Qe4 g6 26.Qxa4 Rxd2 27.Nxd2 Qxd2 28.Qd1, when White emerges up the exchange for a pawn.
22...Bb3 23.Bxb3 Nxb3 24.Rf1?
Bizarre. White is at least slightly better after 24.Rd1.
24...Bf6 25.Qb5
Even now Rd1 is probably best.
The game finished:
25...Bxe5 26.Qxb3 Qc7 27.g3 b6 28.Rc1 Qb7 29.Rxc8+ Qxc8 30.Qc4 Bb8 31.Qe4 Bd6 32.a4 ½–½
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